Wrench



June 16, 192s.

` 1,542,307 R. A. KENNEDY WRENCH' med Jan. v, 1924 'UNIT-ED STATES ROBERT A. KENNEpY7 or LAVONIA, GEORGIA.

WRENCH.

Application filed January 7, 1924.V Serial NoL 684,832.

To all whom t may concern.'

Beit known that I, ROBERT ARGHIE KEN- NEDY, a citizen oftheUnited States, residing at Lavonia,` in the county ofV Franklin and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following 4is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

ments'in wrenches and it isan object of the invention to provide a novel and improved device of this general character comprising a movable-jaw together with-means automatically operating tomove said jaw into set position.

It 'is also an object of the invention to provide a novel and Vimproved wrench wherein is employed a locking element for holding the movable jaw in various positions. v j

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improvedjwrench whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, lessexpensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use,

as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

Thenovel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

.In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein s Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating a wrench constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention; l

,Figure 2 is an elevational view of the wrench as herein disclosed; y

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes a shank of the wrench provided at its outer end with the stationary` -iaw 2.

` The opposite end portion of the shank 1 is suitably secured to the handle or hand grasp 3 the-same being detachably'engaged with a casing C. The casing C is sub-v stantially Uk-shaped in cross section as is illustrated in Figure 3, land has its lower or outer end portion closed by the plate 4. The plate 4 is provided with an opening 5 through which the end portion of the handle or hand grasp 3 is disposed,` Said extremity being in threadedengagement with a washer 6. This washer 6 is linsertible within the casing C and has -direct contact with the inner face of the plate 4, said washer 6 being also received within a groove or channel 7 formed in the inner walls of the casing C immediately adjacent to the plate 4.

Freely mounted upon the shank 1 outn wardly of the casing C is the movable jaw `'gllhislnvention relates to certain improve- 8, said jaw being provided with an inwardly disposed rod 9 spaced from the shank l and in parallelism therewith. This rod 9 is slidably engaged within an opening 10 provided inthe casing C and with which is adapted to. engage the holding member 11.

The holding member 11 is slidably arranged `within the opening `12 disposed Atransversely of the casing C and intersecting the opening 10, said member -11 being` provided in a marginal portion thereof with a recess 14 in which is Vreceived the rod 9.

One endportion of the holding-member 11 is pivotally engaged, as at 15, with an operatingl lever 16 substantially housed within a grooveor channel 1'( in a slide face of the casingl C. `The lever 16 has its inner end portion pivotally connected,`as at 18, with the casing C.

Interposed betweenthe opposite end portion of the lever`16 andthe base of the groove or channel 17 is an expansible member 19 preferably a coil spring which serves to constantly urge a wall of the recess 14 of the member 11 into close contact with the rod 9 wherebyr the jaw 8 is held against movement lengthwise of the shank 1. The outer end portion of the lever 16 is provided with a finger piece 20 and upon depressing said outer end portion of the lever 16, the member 11 VIis free from the rod 9 whereby the jaw 8 is .readily movable alongthe shank 1.v

The jaw 8 is constantly urged toward the jaw 2 through the instrumentality of the expansible member 21 herein disclosed as a coil spring encirclingr the shank 1 and interposed between the jaw 8 and the connected end portion of the handle member or hand grip 3.

When the holding member 11 is in release position the spring 2l serves to automatically move the jaw 8 toward the jaw 2 and which is of particular advantage to assure a ready and quick setting 0f the wrench with respect to its work.

From the foregoing description it s thought to'be obvious that a Wrench constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly Well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility With which it may be assembled and operated, and it Will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification Without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not Wish to be understood as limiting myself'to the precise arrangement Vand formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim l. A Wrench comprising a shank having a jaw, a casing operatively engaged ivith the shank, said casing'having'an opening to one side of the shank and in parallelism there-V with, a jaw slidably engaged with the shank, means for automatically moving the second named jaw toward the iirst named jaw, a `rod carried by the second named jaw and slidably engaged yWit-hin the opening in the casing, said casing having a second opening disposed transversely hereof and intersectingtlie first named opening, a member .slidlably engaged Within thesecond named opening and provided in a marginal portion With a recess in which is received a rod, a lever arranged exteriorly of the casing and having one'end portion pivotally engaged With 'the casinga'djacent theinner end thereof,

said leverbeing of a length to extendv beyond 'the outer end of the easing, means for pivrotally connecting the member and the lever,

and means for constantly urging the lever Vin one direction to maintain the member in the shank, said casing having an opening Vto one side ofthe shank and in parallelism therewith, a jaiv slidably engaged with the shank, means for automatically moving the second named javv toward the first named jaw, a rod carried by the second named jaiv and slidably engaged Within the opening in the casing, said casing having a second opening disposed transversely thereof and inten secting the first named opening, a member slid-ably engaged Within the second named opening and provided in a marginal portion With a recess in which is received a rod, a lever arranged exterior-ly of the casing and having one end portion pivotally engaged `with the casing adjacent the inner end thereof, said lever being of a length to eX- tend beyond the outer end Vof the casing, means for pivotally connecting the member and the lever, and means for constantly urging the lever in one direction to maintain the member in holding engagement with the rod, the casing being provided with a channel in which the lever is substantially housed.

3. A Wrench comprising a shank provided With a jaw, va casing substantially VU-shaped in cross section having its outer Aend closed by a plate, said plate being provided with an opening, the shank being disposed through the casing and through the opening in the plate, a hand grasp for the shank, an end portion of said hand grasp being disposed through the opening in the plate, a Washer in threaded engagement With said end portion of the hand grasp and in contact with the inner yface of the plate, the inner walls of the casing being provided with a. groove in which `saidrivasher is received, and a movable jaw mounted on the shank between the casing and the aw of the shank.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

ROBERT A. KENNEDY. 

